Special Service and Features
AtmaNirbhar Bharat Abhiyan aims at boosting rural livelihood through Handloom sector
Field Outreach Bureau, Coimbatore in coordinating Press Information Bureau, Chennai organized a Webinar on “National Handloom Day” in the evening of 7th August as a part of the celebration of National Handloom Day on the day.
Welcoming the dignitaries , Shri T. Nadeem Thufail, Deputy Director, PIB Chennai said that In 2015, the Government of India decided to designate 7th August every year, as the National Handloom Day in remembrance of the Swadeshi Movement which was launched on the same day in 1905., to encourage indigenous industries and in particular handloom weavers. The first National Handloom Day was inaugurated on 7 August 2015 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Chennai.
While delivering the presidential address, Shri J. Kamaraj, Director, Regional Outreach Bureau, Ministry of I & B, Chennai said that spinning yarn by charkha was seen by Mahatma Gandhi as a symbol of freedom and as a tool to eradicate poverty. The handloom sector is the largest economic activity after agriculture providing direct and indirect employment to more than 4.3 lakh weavers. This sector contributes nearly 22 percent Of the total cloth produced in the country and also contributes substantially to the export income of the country. The export value stood at US$ 570 million in Financial years 2018-19 and 2020-21. Due to the Atmanirbhar bharat package and other intervention through financial assistance and implementation of various developmental and welfare schemes, this sector has been able to withstand the challenges posed by other sectors.,He also appealed to the audience to buy and use the swadeshi products in our daily lives.
Dr. C. Prakash, Director, Indian Institute of Handloom Technology, Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India, Fulia, Shantipur, Nadia , West Bengal said that weavers from every state in India possess different talents and their products exhibit the finesse and uniqueness. Handloom sector has been a mainstay for rural women employment along with agriculture. Central Government is also running many promotional and publicity programmes and providing career opportunities with handsome salary to promote the handloom sector. He further shared many success stories of women entrepreneurs in the handloom sector with the audience.
Shri Basavraj, Senior Officer  and Karur Branch Incharge, NHDC said that National Handloom Development Corporation Limited  was set up in February, 1983 by the Government of India as a public sector undertaking under the ambit of Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India in pursuance of the imperative need for a national level agency to assist the speedy development of the handloom sector with the help of 07 Regional Offices and 32 Branch offices.
The main objective of NHDC are to ensure availability of inputs vizs Yarn  Dyes & Chemicals of desired quality at the most reasonable prices and also Supplementing marketing efforts of Handloom Agencies/ Individual handloom weavers / Apex bodies / Weavers co-operatives / HEPC members / Handloom Weavers Agencies and helping them to achieve increased share in domestic & global market for handloom products.
Shri K. G. Natraj, General Secretary Mahilam Pothu Nala Trust, Vellakoil, Tiruppur said that Weaver Cards, Weavers MUDRA Scheme and other financial assistance schemes have been popular among weavers . SantKabir Awards have been conferred to the outstanding handloom weavers who make valuable contribution to the development of the sector. He also told that Salem weavers Service Centre have been providing the training to rural women in nearby districts.
Smt. Kareena B Thengamam, Deputy Director, Field Outreach Bureau, Coimbatore concluded the webinar by expressing the gratitude towards the participation of the guests.
Dr. R Sunitha, NSS Officer said that only handloom sarees are worn by the faculty and students of the University. NSS Volunteers & Students from Department of Textiles, Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education also participated in the webinar.
The webinar ended with the vote of thanks proposed by Shri S. R Chandrashekaran, Field Publicity Assistant, Field Outreach Bureau, Coimbatore.
Around 100 participants marked their presence in the webinar. The Webinar was also streamed live on the Channel of Regional Outreach Bureau, Chennai
Question & Answer & feedback sessions were also part of the webinar.
E-Certificates were provided for the participants on their mail for participation. The webinar was also streamed live on the YouTube Channel of Regional Outreach Bureau, Tamil Nadu & Puducherry for a wide reach.